| House Approves Revised Children's Health Bill
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today released the following statement on the revised State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization legislation, which passed the House today 265-142.
“As promised, the Congress is preparing to send legislation back to the President to provide health insurance coverage for 10 million American children. A bipartisan coalition worked diligently to address concerns raised by many Republicans around the issues of providing coverage for illegal immigrants, adults and higher income families. The legislation was carefully clarified to address those concerns. Unfortunately, House Republicans could not take ‘yes’ for an answer.
“The legislation makes clear that: more low-income children are covered—no “high income” children are covered; benefits to illegal immigrants are prohibited; coverage of childless adults is phased out; and “crowd out” is improved so fewer families will drop their private insurance.
“Again, I must make clear, this children’s healthcare program was never intended to replace Medicaid. It is intended to cover the children of parents who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and earn too little to purchase private health insurance. I’m disappointed that the President would misrepresent this fact and exhibit a lack of sensitivity for working Americans.”
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